by Naomi Niles
I walked into my office and found Sarah’s desk cleaned out. I looked around, thinking that maybe she moved her things to another desk in the office, but when I didn’t see her anywhere, I headed straight to HR. They told me that she had to go back to school earlier than expected because of some club she was involved in, so for the time being, we had to make due without one until she was replaced. That was going to make my job harder, especially since Sarah was such an excellent replacement. I made it to my office and tossed my suit coat on the rack. I had no idea what was on tap for the day, but Sarah always saved my meetings weeks in advance and emailed them to me. I searched for her name and pulled up the IT. I didn’t have a meeting until later that day at 2 pm, so for now, it was just down time.
I called Bethany, but she didn’t answer, so I left her a voicemail. “Hey babe, just calling to see how you were doing. I don’t have anything going on until 2 pm, so maybe, if you have time, I can swing by there and we can go to lunch with Vinny. Let me know. Talk to you soon.”
A few hours passed, and she still didn’t respond. I didn’t notice it until I got an email from The Right Click. It was a message asking if I wanted to come back and give the website another try. I laughed at the thought. I was good with who I had. If they wanted more money from me, they probably shouldn’t have allowed me to meet the woman of my dreams within the first five minutes of me signing up. Just then, I got a call from the security desk. “Hello?”
“Mr. Wallace, there is someone here to see you.”
I looked at my watch. It was only 12 pm, and my meeting wasn’t for another two hours. I looked at my schedule to double check, but everything was clear. “Who is it?”
“She says her name is Bethany Pope.”
“Bethany? Oh, yeah, let her up.”
“Alright, sir.”
I stood up and propped the door open, waiting for her to walk through. It was a pleasant surprise, but at the same time, I wondered why she had driven all the way down here from Morris Elementary. It was something that she had never done before today, so I figured it was serious. “Hey, sweetheart. What a pleasant–” I stopped mid-sentence as she walked into my office. Her face hung low, as if it were weighted down. She hesitated to make eye-contact with me like she was ashamed to show her face. As she walked by, I quietly closed the door behind her as she took a seat on my couch. I propped myself on the arm, “Babe? Is everything alright?” I thought her ex-boyfriend somehow wiggled his way out of jail and found a way to harass her again. I didn’t know what I would do if that was the case, but I was prepared to do something.
Slowly, she fixed her gaze on me. “This is a nice office you have here. Nice view outside,” she said, glancing towards my window.
“Babe, I know you didn’t come all the way downtown just to admire the view from my office window. Come on, spit it out. I’m here for you.”
She played around with her purse strap until she found enough courage to let her words out. “I just want to be honest with you. Especially since I wasn’t in the beginning.” A glimmer formed near the bottom of her eyes. I took a deep breath, not knowing what to expect. “Word got out at my job that I used to be a stripper. There was a guy that worked at Morris. He um,” she wiped her cheek, “he wanted to take me out for the longest time, but I wasn’t interested in him at all, so I kept rejecting him. Well, I don’t know how he found out, but he knew what I did in the past, and since I didn’t go out with him, he blabbed it all over the school.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. It started out as a rumor, but eventually, all kinds of things were added to it in the process. I know people were looking at me like I was some type of whore or something.” I eased myself next to her on the couch as she continued. “So, the principal called me into the office earlier today before school started. He said that he checked my background and when he found out what I did in the past, he let me go.”
“Wow.”
“He said that I was like a daughter to him and it hurt for him to do it, but it was out of his hands. He said that once the parents got wind of it, they wouldn’t be okay with the fact that a former stripper was around their children.”
It sounded horrible as the words left her mouth, but then I realized that I thought the same way about her when I found out. I judged her based on her past and because of that, I was inclined to discontinue my relationship with her. It wasn’t a surprise to me that others would feel the same way. I put my arm around her, “That is tough, Bethany. I am sorry to hear that you went through that today. Now I understand why you didn’t return my call. You were too busy dealing with bullshit at work.”
She wiped her eyes. “Yeah. I saw that I missed your call, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk. I didn’t want to tell you anything, but I knew that I couldn’t keep it from you. Not after all we had just gone through.” She looked directly at me. “I am sorry, and I hope that you don’t think I am some unemployed loser.”
I chuckled, “Babe, come on. You’ve been unemployed for all of four hours right now. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I don’t think any less of you than I did when you walked through that door. You are still an amazing woman. Smart, intelligent, and willing to work your ass off to learn new things. You didn’t know how to be an assistant before then, but somehow, you got that job, and you overwhelmed everyone by exceeding expectations. They will miss you before you miss them, and that is the truth.” As I spoke, I listened to my own words, and before long, a lightbulb went on in my mind. “What do you think about working here with me?”
Her eyebrows wrinkled together. “Um, I don’t know anything about this business. I mean, what will I do? I have no experience, no–”
“Babe, you have to stop focusing on what you don’t have and instead focus on what you do have. You have the drive, you have the intelligence, and most importantly, you have the will to overcome anything in front of you. It is one of the things I admire about you the most. I know that you have had a rough past, but I’ve learned that you are willing to do what it takes to survive. Anything that comes your way, a fastball, a curveball, a change-up; no matter what it is, you find a way to knock it out of the park.” She smiled bashfully. I took her by the hand, “Come with me.”
I led her outside to Sarah’s old desk. “We had an intern here as an office assistant. She handled my schedule and made sure that I knew about everything that was going to come my way. Here, have a seat.”
“I don’t know if I should–”
“Babe, just have a seat. Please?” She reluctantly sat down in the large leather chair behind the front desk. I kneeled beside her, “Now, I don’t have one doubt in my mind that you can come in here and do this job. I will not say that you were made for something like this because your potential exceeds what is required to perform this job. However, I know that you can perform flawlessly. And,” I leaned closer to her ear, speaking in a soft whisper, “just think of what we could do together when nobody else is in this office.” I put my hand on her thigh. “Me… you… alone in a big room… doing forbidden things like… spreading your legs while you lay on top of my desk… or making love while the moonlight shines through my window.”
My hand slid higher between her legs until she smacked it away. “Gavin, stop. You are turning me on, and I don’t need to get all hot and bothered if you are not going to put the flames out right now.”
I chuckled. “Okay, I’ll stop. But, that is just something to think about. I mean, I could use the help, and I am the man here, so if you want the job, it won’t take anything for me to give it to you. You just have to say the word.”
She leaned forward in the chair, then opened the drawers and closed them like she had to examine things for herself. I waited patiently, hoping that she would agree. It wasn’t just because I knew she needed a job, but I knew that she could help out a lot until she found a new job. Finally, she spoke up, “Under one condition, Gavin.”
“Anything.”
“I only want to
help out until I finish school. After I got fired, I made up in my mind that I will not drag my feet about that anymore.”
“Done.”
“Wait, but I’m not.”
I laughed. “Okay, a list of demands. I’m all ears.”
“I need to make enough to at least pay my bills each month.”
“Done.”
“And I need to have sex with the CEO in his office at least once a week.”
“That was already included in the deal. I have sex with every new assistant anyway. It’s part of the initiation process.”
She narrowed her eyes at me as I sat on the edge of the desk with my arms folded. Suddenly, I sprang out in laughter, “Babe, I am joking! It was just a joke, okay?” I put my arms around her as she shook her head. “Babe. A joke?”
“Whatever, Gavin,” she chuckled, “I was ready to pull one of these drawers out and pop you upside the head with it.”
“Ouch. Well, the ONLY assistant I will be having sex with is the one named Bethany Pope. The one who has my heart wrapped around her pretty little finger.”
I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “Good,” she said. “That is what I like to hear.”
I knew it would be a good idea to offer her the job, especially since I knew she would perform at a high level. All things happen for a reason, and as she smiled sitting at her desk, I felt that from here, things could only go up, and I just prayed that she would be by my side as we reached new heights together.
Chapter Thirty-Four
BETHANY
I started working at Gavin’s office the day after I was fired from Morris Elementary. I was nervous before I showed up, but as the day went on, things turned out to be much easier than I thought. It didn’t take much to keep up with Gavin’s day-to-day routines, and on top of that, I got to see his gorgeous face on a daily basis. I hoped that he didn’t get tired of me because of it, so I tried not to smother him while we were both at the office. I kept things professional and treated him as if he were my boss and nothing more, but as the days went on, it became increasingly difficult. “Hello, Mr. Wallace,” I said as he walked through the door. He wore a tailored suit that fit tight to his body. His hair was cropped, and his cologne met me before he said a word. He smiled and leaned on my desk.
“Well, Ms. Pope, this is the third day of your employment. How are things going?”
“Well, so far, things are okay. My boss is kind of sexy, but I am trying to keep things professional between us. I don’t want to, um, cross any lines. You know?”
“Yeah, I understand that. But, between us, I see the way he looks at you. It seems like he wouldn’t mind if you cross that line. If it were my guess, I’d say that in his mind, he crossed it a long time ago.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, I am pretty sure of it. I know the guy well.”
“Well, if that’s the case, you should tell him that we should hang out. I mean, that is, if he is interested.”
He looked at his watch. It was almost nine am. “Come on,” he said, reaching for my hand.
“Where are we going?”
“Ssshhhh. Just come on. I think he wants to meet you personally.”
Moments later, I was inside his office, bent over his couch while he fucked me from behind. I stifled my screams of ecstasy while I dug my nails into his cushions. He grabbed my waist and thrust himself inside me. I smacked the cushion with my hand, doing all I could to keep my screams silent. I didn’t know who was lurking around, but that thought alone increased the pleasure from our quickie. Once we finished, I dropped my dress below my waist and looked at him with a smile. His dick was still erect, and a part of me wanted to kneel before him and wrap my lips around it. Just as I went for him, there was a knock at his door. “Mr. Wallace,” a male voice said on the other end, “this is Larry Strizenski. I just need a moment.”
“Sure thing, Larry. Just one second.”
I quickly got up and fixed my dress while he straightened his pants. I was worried that the guy on the other end would think something was going on in here but Gavin calmed my apprehension. “It’s okay. Come here and stand by my desk as if you are pointing something out to me on the screen.” I did what he asked, and seconds later, he spoke for Larry to come in.
“Yes, Mr. Wallace, that right there is what I wanted you to see. It was just a small error on my end, so I had to straighten it out before you got confused.”
“Thank you, Ms. Pope.”
I smiled as Larry walked to the couch. I looked behind him as he sat right beside the spot that we had just occupied. “Well, I’ll let you get to your business. If there is any more confusion, just give me a ring. Sorry about that.”
“No problem, Ms. Pope. Thank you.”
I smiled at Larry, then exited the room and closed the door behind me. My heart thumped inside my chest like a bass drum, but the thrill of almost getting caught was enough to make me want to do the very same thing again. I knew I was going to enjoy working here the moment I told him that I would take the job. As the week went on, business did as well. Gavin asked me to come by Saturday so we could hang out with Vinny, so when the day arrived, I showed up in front of his home. Just as I got out of the car, Vinny opened the front door and ran towards me, “Bethany!” he yelled, rushing full speed.
I stepped onto the curb so that he didn’t run out into the street, and he nearly knocked me backward when he threw his arms around me. “I missed you at school! It is not the same without you! Why did you leave?”
I sighed. “What did you hear?”
“Well, I heard some bad things, but I didn’t believe them. Some of the kids said that you were a bad woman, but I told them that you weren’t. I told them that you were the nicest woman at the school, and I started to get mad. I even almost got into a fight.”
“A fight?” I asked with my eyebrows raised. “Why?”
He released me. “Because they were talking bad about you, and I didn’t like it. Ms. Harrison broke us up though. It was between me and David. I was so angry at him because he kept telling me that you did all these bad things.”
“Listen,” I said, kneeling to him, “I thank you for sticking up for me, but I don’t ever want you to get in trouble because of it. They are just rumors, okay? Just words. As long as you know the truth, there is no reason to get upset. People are going to say things that aren’t true, and nobody can stop them. It is up to you what you do with that though. So, just let them talk and try not to get mad. But most importantly, do not get in trouble. Okay?”
He sighed. “Okay, Bethany.”
I gave him another hug. It pained me to see that he had to go through that, and it hurt even more to hear some of the kids fall victim to lies. It only confirmed that kids regurgitate what they’ve heard from adults. Behavior is taught, and sometimes, adults can be even more immature than the children they are supposed to teach. Just then, Gavin stepped outside. I stood up as he walked down his pathway. “Hey, sweetie.” He kissed me on the lips as Vinny climbed into the car. “How are you?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that Vinny was having a hard time at school because of me?”
“What? He is having a hard time? What happened?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“No, he didn’t tell me a thing.”
He opened Vinny’s door, but I pushed it closed. “Wait a minute. Then forget it. I guess he didn’t want to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Well,” I looked through the window at Vinny. He sat quietly with his eyes buried into a book that he’d retrieved from the back seat. “The kids at the school started spreading the rumor to the other kids, and the word finally got back to Vinny. He said that they were saying bad things about me, and instead of believing them, he got mad at one of the kids and almost had a fight.”
“A fight? Vinny?”
“Yeah. I didn’t expect that either, but I guess we all have a little fight in us if the wrong buttons are pushed. Anyways
, after he told me, I let him know not to get in trouble because of something that someone else says. As long as we know the truth, that is all that matters. I guess he was just scared to tell you. Maybe he thought you would punish him or something.”
“Punish him for that? Hell, I would’ve taken him out for ice cream. That is something that I would’ve been proud of him for. Up until now, I didn’t think anything would be able to push him into wanting to fight someone, but as long as it is for a good cause, then I am for it.”
I shook my head, “Really, Gavin? You think fighting over a rumor is a good thing to do?”
“Well, maybe not a rumor, but more so just fighting for what is right. A lot of kids may have just went along with what the other kids were saying, but it says a lot when my little guy is willing to go against the grain in a situation like that. Yeah,” he said, smiling admirably at his son, “yeah, I am proud of him. Anyways,” he faced me, “we should get going. I told him that we were going to the dinosaur museum today, so he is all for it.”
He opened my car door. “Dinosaurs? Sounds interesting.”
“Yeah. Maybe we will find some of your ancestor’s bones in there.”
“Ha ha ha, very funny. Or possibly, we will find out a good place to bury a dead body.” His smile faded as mine spread. “Yeah, so you should just keep that in mind.”
I winked at him as he closed the door behind me. I watched him walk to his side of the car as I leaned across the seat and propped his door open for him. As I extended my hand, I caught a glimpse of my ring finger, and suddenly, I was filled with excitement as I wondered what life would be like if I had his ring on my finger and his last name attached to my first.
Chapter Thirty-Five
GAVIN
It had been a little over a week since Bethany started working for my company, and things had finally started flowing the way it was supposed to. She went above and beyond what I expected her to do, and because of that, I gave her the day off. Vinny had a birthday coming up that weekend, and Bethany said she wanted to help with the decorations at the house, so I gave her that Friday to take care of it all while Vinny was at school. He was going to stay with Mike for a bit after school so he wouldn’t come home and spoil his surprise. I sat at my desk, going over the meetings I had lined up for the day. We had a big potential investor coming at one. A company with its base in France had loved the way we were trending upwards in the stock market, so he wanted to see what he could do to get in on the earnings.